Van Gundy: Morris was a hard sell

BOSTON — Detroit Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy did not want to look across the floor and see Marcus Morris in an opposing team’s starting lineup Monday night at TD Garden.

If Van Gundy had his preference, he said before the game against the Celtics, the seventh-year forward would still be in his own rotation. But when it came to trading for Avery Bradley, Van Gundy said that was the cost of doing business with Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, so ultimately the Pistons relented.

“We never had one thought of trading Marcus — ever,” the coach claimed. “It was the availability of Avery Bradley. That’s what it came down to. We were in a situation where we had a free agent two-guard (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope) and nothing had been resolved there. Then Avery’s availability came up (after the Celtics agreed to sign Gordon Hayward and had to clear cap space for his maximum-salary contract) and Marcus was what was required to get it done.

“We tried to do it with other people in the deal. But it’s what we had to do to get it done.”

Morris said over the summer that he didn’t think he was on the trade block at the time either. But asked about facing his former club following Friday’s victory against the Orlando Magic, he praised the Pistons for doing him a solid.

“I got a lot of love for Detroit,” said Morris, who returned to the starting lineup Monday night after missing Saturday’s game in Indiana to rest his left knee. “They never rubbed me the wrong way, did me wrong. Actually, they did me a favor by sending me here.

“It wasn’t like any animosity. I love Stan. I love the coaching staff. They did nothing but good things for my career. Nothing but good things for me. It’s not really circled (on the calendar). It’s just another game. I’m happy to see those guys.”

Morris joined Aron Baynes as a pair of former Pistons who laced up the sneakers Thursday night against the team they played for last year. Baynes exercised his player option to become a free agent and wound up taking about $2 million less to sign a one-year deal with Boston than he would have made by opting in with Detroit.

“Marcus and Aron, both are two of my favorite guys,” Van Gundy said. “Both are really tough, unselfish, team-oriented guys. You couldn’t ask for more. When I look back, probably a few years down the road, and you’re saying: ‘Who is your favorite group of guys you’ve coached?’ — those two guys will be in that group.”

The two teams entered Monday night with the two best records in the Eastern Conference as a 4½-game spread separated the first-place Celtics (18-3) and second-place Pistons (12-6).

“It’s good to see that they are playing well,” Morris said. “I am happy they are not playing better than us. But they’re definitely playing well. I know they are happy for me because they’re really genuine. I love the fans and I love the team.”

Bradley flourishing with Pistons

Morris is not surprised that Bradley — who is a friend of his off the court — is flourishing with the Pistons.

“I think he fits well in Detroit because Stan is a defensive-first type of guy,” Morris said. “He goes over there and he defends his (butt) off, then he’s going to play. He doesn’t say too much about shots.

“Avery is a veteran. He knows how to play the game. Detroit is probably helping him a little more because he can have the ball in his hands and create for himself. Stan is defense-first. If he can play D, he’ll be on the court.” …

Count Van Gundy among those opposing coaches eager to sing the praises of Celtics coach Brad Stevens when he comes to TD Garden.

“Yeah, he wins a lot,” Van Gundy said when asked if anything “stands out to him” about Stevens. “He’s a really good basketball coach. His teams execute on the offensive end, play very hard and very physically on the defensive end, and he’s been able to adapt to a lot of different players. Certainly, this year there have been a lot of new guys.

“I think that speaks very well of him being able to handle that kind of turnover of players, adapt, make any adjustments that you need to, and still function very well as a team.”

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